High Praise for Our Wines
Steve Heimoff
Tasting Panel Magazine
May 2010Excellent vineyards and accomplished winemakers put Carneros Chardonnay in the limelight. By Christopher Sawyer
VINOGRAPHY: a wine blog
High score of 9 and 9.5 for the 2007 Wildcat Mountain Chardonnay!Tasting Notes: Light yellow-gold in the glass, the wine smells beautifully of wet stones and cold cream. In the mouth it is unusually silky on the tongue with crisp, clean flavors of cold cream, lemon pastry cream, and wet stone. Impeccably balanced, seductive and subtle, the wine lingers in a gradually depending finish. Outstanding and a great example of form.
K & L Wine Merchants lists the 2007 MacRostie Carneros Chardonnay as a TOP 10!"A classic Carneros Chardonnay that we can barley keep on the shelves. Ripe and rich, with a balance of fruit and creaminess. This is made using some of the best fruit in Carneros: Sangiacomo, Beckstoffer and Durell, among others." Michael Jordan & Bryan Brick
More than a Mere Mention:Our 2007 Pinot Noir is already creating a swirl! Peter Gianotti of Newsday loves it as much as we do in his Toast to Summer:"Black cherry bursts from the full-bodied, lush 2007 MacRostie Carneros Pinot Noir ($30), a ripe red with a trace of spice." - Peter Gianotti, Newsday Cheers, Peter!
California Merlot: Dissed but Wrongly DismissedBy Ed McCarthy Not too long ago, in the 1990s, Merlot was the "hot" California varietal red wine. After the "French Paradox," which declared French red wine drinkers heart-healthy despite high-fat diets, many wine consumers switched from white and blush wines to red wines, or in many cases started drinking red wines for the first time. Consequently, the relatively soft, easy-drinking Merlot, which once played the minor role of a mere blending wine in California Cabernets, found new popularity. It seemed then that every time I was dining in a restaurant or at a bar, almost everyone not ordering Chardonnay was drinking Merlot -- especially by the glass. Ah, but Merlot -- or many of the people producing it -- could not deal with its new-found popularity. A familiar story: lots of Merlot was newly planted in the wrong places, such as California's Central Valley; yields were prolific, and many of the resulting wines rushed to market were poor imitations of this potentially noble wine. When Miles, the protagonist in the popular 2004 film "Sideways," lashed out at Merlot while praising his beloved Pinot Noir, many of the viewers in the audience laughed in agreement. But Miles, of course, erred in condemning all Merlot wines. Being the wine geek that he was, he should have remembered the wonderful Pomerols from Bordeaux's Right Bank -- such as Château Petrus -- which are almost 100% Merlot. (Ironically, the treasured wine that Miles was drinking at the end of Sideways was not a Pinot Noir; it was a Bordeaux from St.-Emilion--Château Cheval Blanc, made from Cabernet Franc and Merlot). Sales of California Merlot did decline after Sideways hit the silver screens in 2004, and not just because of the film's success. Consumers recognized that many Merlots, especially those retailing for under $20, had dropped dramatically in quality. Yet Merlot maintained its third position in California red wine sales, behind Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel (much of the latter 'white' Zinfandel), and still well ahead of Pinot Noir and Syrah. Frankly, I am disappointed with many California Merlots today, but I can certainly make the same statement about California Pinot Noirs, Syrahs/Shirazes, and even Cabernet Sauvignons. Merlot, like Pinot Noir, is very site-specific. It demands cool climate, well-drained soils, and a fairly even, long-ripening growing season. Warm climate and fertile soils will never produce good Merlots -- or good Pinot Noirs. Merlot grapes grown in less than optimal conditions produce wines that are thin and lack concentration of flavor. Such wines might appeal to those who want an easy-drinking red wine whose tannins are soft, but they fall short of Merlot's potential. But let's not bury California Merlot quite yet. Do not despair, Merlot lovers; there are good -- and even excellent -- varietal Merlots still being produced in California today. Many of the wineries making them either are located in Carneros, the cool region making up the southern end of Napa Valley and Sonoma -- or source their grapes from vineyards in Carneros. If you've been to Carneros, you know it can be cool -- downright windy, in fact, even in the heart of the summer -- as the winds come whipping in from the Pacific through San Pablo Bay, directly south of Carneros. Other regions have had moderate success with Merlot, such as Stags Leap District in Napa Valley, and parts of Sonoma County. But Carneros is the 'Pomerol' of California in that it produces the mother lode of fine Merlot wines. Merlot at its best is a deeply colored red wine -- full-bodied and dry, with soft, velvety tannin and aromas and flavors of ripe, dark plums, a hint of chocolate, and a slight toasty note of oak. It fills your mouth with its fleshy texture and its plump, fruity flavors, yet it's not too soft; it has enough firmness to give it definition. That's the experience of California Merlot at its best. And who wouldn't love such a wine? Its plumpness, richness, and softness are the reason that Merlot became popular in the first place. Most Merlot wines are not 100% Merlot. Just as Cabernet producers often blend in a bit of Merlot to give their wine softness, Merlot producers often take advantage of their '25% other-grapes allowed' option in California to blend in some Cabernet Sauvignon and, occasionally, Cabernet Franc. The more Cabernet that a Merlot wine has blended into it, the firmer and less 'round' the wine will be. One of the advantages of researching a wine book is that it demands that the writers thoroughly re-acquaint themselves with the subject matter -- in this case, California wines -- for our (Mary Ewing-Mulligan's and my) forthcoming California Wine For Dummies. In tasting through a great number of California Merlots, I have come up with a list of my favorite wines -- Merlots that exhibit all the finest characteristics of this varietal wine. I list 22 wineries for their Merlots; most are in Napa Valley or Carneros. The wines are listed according to their wine's average national retail price -- from the lowest to the highest. My recommended wines' prices start at about $20. In most cases, I'm basing my recommendations on the excellent 2005 vintage, which is still mainly available -- although 2006's are starting to appear. In my opinion, 2006 is also a good vintage for Merlot, but not quite as good as the very cool-climate 2005: --Franciscan Oakville Estate (Napa Valley), about $20
--Havens Wine Cellars (Napa Valley) $25; Havens Reserve (Carneros), $35
--Schug (Sonoma Valley) Estate $25; Schug (Carneros) Estate, $28
--MacRostie Winery (Carneros), $27 Please click here for the full article on Wine Review Online.
Double Gold for the 2007 Carneros ChardonnaySan Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
The largest competition of American Wines in the world!
Click here to see the award winners!
Wine Spectator
93 Points
Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Wildcat Mountain Vineyard 2006
"Shows rich tropical fruit, with layers of tangerine, nectarine, fig and honey that are supple, full-bodied, smooth and elegant, ending with a complex mix of fruit and light toasty oak. Drink now through 2012. 957 cases made." - James Laube
December 8, 2008
Wine Review Online
Steve MacRostie's Balancing Act
"When I come across a producer with a healthy respect for the grape variety and the terroir--understanding that overripe grapes rob wine of its freshness and individual characterisitcs--I stand up and take notice. The MacRostie Chardonnays have always done this." Robert Whitley
Click here to read the full review Wine Review Online
Toronto Life
Lawrason On Wine
California comes to Canada
Posted on April 28, 2008
The California Wine Fair rolls into the Fairmont Royal York Hotel on Monday, April 28, brimming with bottles that, by and large, cannot be found on the shelves of the LCBO. Of the 69 wines assembled for the fair’s preview media tasting last month, only 20 are currently available at Vintages or the LCBO. This doesn’t mean the LCBO is ignoring California: a big promo swings into gear in early May that introduces several new brands to the general list; and on Saturday, Vintages will be offering up a couple of dozen new releases as well. But the fair showcases so many, many more—a huge reservoir of wine either being sold direct to restaurateurs via the below-the-radar consignment program, or wines that want to be here and might just find a niche if they create a buzz at the fair. With so many wines and so little time, the grapevine goes electric. Why must all the big wine presentations in our city be so restrictive, so pressured, and in such chaos? And why must the pourers spend most of their time apologizing that we can’t actually buy the wine they are serving? Here are some of the standouts and interesting new wines that I tasted blind at the media preview. For tickets, go to the California Wines in Canada Web site, www.calwine.ca. MacRostie 2006 Chardonnay, Carneros ($28.50, 91 points)
Decent value in a full, rich yet bracing and complex chardonnay that had me thinking of Puligny-Montrachet in Burgundy—complete with cool apple-pear fruit, butter mint candy, light smokiness and almond. Weighty and powerful, with a great acid core and excellent length. Available through the John Gibson Agency, 905-882-1999. To read the complete blog click here http://www.torontolife.com/blogs/wine/
2008 Critics Challenge
International Wine Competition2006 Pinot Noir Carneros ~ Silver Medal 2005 Pinot Noir Wildcat Mountain ~ Gold Medal 2006 Chardonnay Carneros ~ Silver Medal
Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences2005 Carneros Pinot Noir "Exceptional" "Earthy/brushy and red berry fruit aroma with a subtle spice; soft entry and a silky finish."
May 15, 2008 2005 Carneros Pinot Noir
Napa Valley and Los Carneros – Earth Day
Napa Valley Wine Blog
April 18, 2008
In celebration of Earth Day, we thought it would be fitting to list the wineries in the Napa Valley and Los Carneros that are recognized as leaders in utilizing “Green Activities” in their vineyards and winery facilities. The term “Green” can mean many things but in the case of this blog post we use the term “Green” to include the following activities:
• Organic farming (no use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers)
• Use of solar power
• Use of bio diesel fuels (fuels derived from vegetable oil)
• Water conservation
• Reduction of waste Click here to read the blog and wineries that made the list!
FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE"Best American Wines $15 & Under""After tasting more than 300 affordable American wines, Senior Editor Ray Ile reports on his most exciting Merlot and Pinot Noir finds." 2004 Keltie Brook Merlot "For some time, insiders have known that the wines on Steve MacRostie's primary label, MacRostie, offer great quality for their price. Keltie Brook, his even more affordable second label, gives more of the same value with wines like this refined, cherry-and-black-currant-inflected red." ~ April 2008
WINE SPECTATORGreat California Values
April 30, 2008 "A rich, earthy, savory Chardonnay, with a mix of hazelnut, nutmet and sliced apple flavors that are complex and focused." ~ James Laube 2006 Carneros Chardonnay
WINE SPECTATOR 90 PointsMACROSTIE Syrah Sonoma Coast Wildcat Mountain Vineyard 2004 "Vivid, sharply focused wild berry, blackberry and blueberry flavors are intense and concentrated, with lively acidity and firm tannins, ending with a long, complex finish and a touch of gaminess. Drink now through 2011." - James Laube
San Francisco Magazine 10 Great Party Wines"No one likes to show up at a party empty-handed, but choosing wine for a holiday celebration presents its own set of problems when you don't know the menu or the particular tastes of your hosts or guests. Experts from two of San Francisco's top wine shops offer their recommendations for the best pours of the season." 2006 Carneros Chardonnay "This Carneros Chardonnay is a complex, golden-hued beauty. The finish is clean and refreshing, with enticing acidity. It makes for a lovely sipper on its own, or will pair with a variety of rich holiday appetizers, including lobster salad or crab bisque." - Mulan Chan, K&L Wine Merchants
December 2007
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